Henry raymond



(No Model.) t

H. RAYMOND. GAR COUPLING.

N0. 564,426 Patented Feb. 11, 1896.

llNiTEn STATES PATENT EETcE,

HENRY RAYMOND, 0E KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR OF ONF-THIRD TO D. B. BEAN, or SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,426, dated February 11, 1896.

Applicatidn filed December 2, 1895. Serial No. 570,789. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY RAYMOND, a citizen of the United States, residing atKnoX- ville, in the county of Knox and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplers and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to car-couplers, and has for its object to provide a simple and efficient construction of parts which will readily couple when two adjacent couplers are forced together, and in which the coupling-hooks will interlock and be held in their closed position to prevent the accidental uncoupling of the cars to which they are attached.

The invention has further for its object to provide means to hold the coupling-hooks in an opened position, and which means are adapted to be automatically released when two couplers are forced together, so that the hooks may engage each other and be held in their engaged position.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the construction and also in the combination of parts hereinafter particularly described, and then sought to be specifically defined by the appended claims, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, and in which- Figure 1 is a plan view showing two adjacent coupling-hooks, one of the same being in section to Show the latch mechanism. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one of the hooks with the parts separated from each other but in their relative position, and Fig. 3 is a detail view of the latch-lever.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the draw-head, formed at its outer end with an enlarged portion 2, from which projects a pivoting-lip 3, at opposite sides of which are vertical abutting portions 4 to limit the movement of the draw-hook 5. This draw-hook is provided with ahead 6 adapted to engage with the opposite coupler and has two inwardly-projecting lugs 7,which embrace the lip 3 and are pivoted thereto by the bolt 8, which passes through apertures in said lugs and lip. The draw-hooks are normally held in their closed position by the spiral springs 9, which are seated at one end in a recess 10 in the drawhead and at their opposite ends in the recess 11 formed in the jaw of the coupler. At opposite sides of the lugs 011 the draw-hooks are formed abutting portions 12 adapted to engage the abutting portions 4 on the draw-head, so to form a stop to the movement of the hook in either direction of its rotation. A chain 13 or other suitable means leading to the side of the car is'provided to open the hook against the tension of the closing spring 9 to uncouple the cars.

The head of the draw-hook is recessed just back of the point of the hook, as at 14:, so as to provide a seat for the point of the engaging hook upon the opposite coupler. The ends of the hooks are also provided with a recess 15 and aperture 16 for the use of the ordinary pin-and-link coupling when it is necessary to connect this coupler with one of that style. This construction of parts provides a coupler simple in construction and operation and which will automatically couple the cars upon the engagement of two adjacent coupling-hooks.

In view of the fact that the pivotal center of the draw-hook is substantially in line with the center of the head thereof it is desirable to provide means to hold the hook in an open position and to automatically release the same when the adjacent hook is in contact, so as to avoid the jar or shock incident to the couplers coming together and to prevent injury to the parts of the couplers. To this end a recess 17 is provided in the body of the hook, adjacent to the lip 3, in which a latch-lever 18 is pivoted so that its angular head 19 will engage and seat itself in a recess 20, formed in the lip 3 on the draw-head. This latch-lever is also provided with a tailpiece 21, which projects slightly at the face of the hook, so as to be pressed inward by the contacting hook to release the head of the latch and allow the hook to be pressed inward by the spring and engage the other hook. A spring 22 is seated in a recess 24 in the hook and bears on the latch so as to keep its head in engagement with the curved face of the lip 3. It will thus be seen that when the hook is opened the latch Will engage the recess in the lip on the draw-head and hold the hook in its open position until the contacting coupler presses against the tailpiece of the latch and thus releases the hook, so that it may be forced inward by the spring 9 to engage the adjacent draw-hook of the contacting coupler.

I have illustrated and described the preferred construction of parts; but it is obvious that changes may be made therein without affecting the spirit of this invention as expressed by the claims.

Having described my invention and set forth its merits, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a ear-coupler, the combination with the draw-head and draw-hook pivoted thereto, of means to force said hook into a closed position, and means to hold said hook in an open position and adapted to be automatically released by a contacting draw-hook, substantially as described.

2. In a car-coupler, the combination with a draw-head and draw-hook pivoted thereto, of means to force said hook into a closed position, and means carried by said hook and adapted to engage said draw-head to hold said hook in an open position, said holding means being adapted to be automatically released by a contacting draw-hook, substantially as described.

3. In a car-coupler, the combination with the draw-head and draw-hook pivoted thereto, of a lip formed on said draw-head, a pivoted latch carried by said draw-hook, a head to said latch adapted to engage said lip, a tailpiece to said latch adapted to be engaged by a contacting draw-hook, and means to force said latch-head into engagement with said lip, substantially as described.

4. In a car-coupler, the combination with the draw-head and draw-hook pivoted thereto, of a latch carried by said draw-hook and adapted to engage said draw-head, means to normally hold said hook in a closed position, and means to hold said latch in contact with a portion of the draw-head, substantially as described.

5. In a car-coupler, the combination with the draw-head provided with a projecting lip having a recess therein and a draw-hook pivoted to said lip, of a spring-actuated latch pivoted in a recess in said draw-hook adjacent to said lip, and having the tail portion thereof exposed at the face of the hook, and means to normally hold and throw said hook into a closed position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY RAYHOND.

IVitnesses:

has. 11. WELcKER, ALEX. FORD. 

